Grief. That was all Jiraiya felt as he stood on the roof of the Hokage mansion with the population of the village. He never thought he would see the day that his teacher, confidant, and biggest supporter would be dead and gone. But there he was, trying his hardest to maintain the solemn look on his face when internally he felt such sorrow and despair. Why did this have to happen? What could he have done to have prevented the untimely death of such a great leader? Those were the questions that tormented Jiraiya, for he just could not seem to come up with any answers that could offer him some kind of comfort.
Orochimaru did not hesitate to wreak complete havoc over the Village. He not only managed to completely ruin the Chunin Exams with his evil schemes, but he was successful in murdering the Third Hokage. However, before the leader of the village succumbed to his unfortunate fate, he paralyzed Orochimaru's arms, robbing him of all his jutsu and the ability to ever weave a hand sign again.
Jiraiya watched as people who did not know the Hokage on a personal level weep hysterically while he had to remain somber and conduct himself in a dignified manner for that was what was expected of him. He wanted to tell those people that they had no right to cry and break down when Jiraiya was not allowed to reveal his true emotions. The truth was that he wanted to barricade himself in the privacy of his apartment and mourn the loss of his teacher. But he also wanted someone who knew Sarutobi on the same level as he did to share in his grief. That would be next to impossible if the only other person who was extremely close to the Third had no idea that he was no longer alive. He suddenly felt so alone and felt that he would soon fall into a dark place that he was afraid he could never escape.
Highly ranked ninja as well as members of the council spoke about the late Sarutobi in high regards and praised him for his efforts to protect the people of the Leaf. Jiraiya was supposed to say a few words to honor his dear Sensei, but backed out of it at the last minute. He just could not seem to muster up enough courage and strength to stand before the mourning population of the village, without surely breaking down himself. It was hard to think about the life that was lost, but to speak of him would be entirely too difficult and emotionally draining. So instead, Jiraiya listened to praises being offered up to the Hokage, respectfully placed a delicate white flower on his grave along with everyone else, extended his condolences to the Sarutobi family, and excused himself from the funeral at the appropriate time.
Instead of heading back to his apartment, he made his way to the training field that he would frequent in the past with his team. That field held so many memories dear to his heart that it seemed entirely appropriate for him to choose that location to mourn. He sat against the tree stump that he was tied to on multiple occasions in his youth after failing a training test issued by Sarutobi. Despite the fact that his sensei was hard on him, Jiraiya knew that it was just because he had his best interests at heart. They grew close as Jiraiya trained under him, and soon the older man became like a second father to him. It grieved Jiraiya that his mentor was no longer around. He would never see him again, talk to him again, or even hear his voice. Only when he could no longer hold his emotions in did he allow tears to stream down his face, wishing that things did not turn out the way they did.
The following day, Jiraiya did not feel like getting out of bed. It was as if his sorrow was weighing him down, and he could not seem to shake the helplessness he was feeling. How could he go on about his life knowing that his sensei was dead and he did nothing to help prevent it. He felt the same kind of guilt he felt when he was not around to help Minato and Kushina. Some would say that it was not his fault, that there was no way he could have known that the nine tailed fox would be unleashed, or that Orochimaru would attack. He still felt guilty though, and ashamed that he was never there when those he cared about the most needed him.
An annoying knocking sound coming from his front door pulled him out from under the sheets and from his dark thoughts. He wondered who on earth could possibly be visiting him when he had no desire to see anyone. If it were Naruto asking him to train for the day, he would tell him that he was feeling under the weather and would put it off for another day. But if it were anyone else, he would probably tell them a few choice words and close the door in their face. He laid there for a few more minutes, hoping that whoever was disturbing him would simply get the message and go away, but the knocking was persistent. It was clear that whoever was on the other side of the door had no intentions on leaving without coming face to face with Jiraiya. He muttered a few expletives under his breath and got out of bed to address the knocks on his door. He swung open the door and saw that the ones who were bothering him, were none other than the two village elders, Homura and Koharu.
He wondered why his sensei's old friends decided to pay him a visit. They never came to his home. If they needed him for anything, they would just summon him to the Hokage mansion and speak to him in a formal setting. It was quite out the ordinary to have them appear at his doorstep and Jiraiya was curious to know what it could possibly mean. What did they want with him? What were they there to discuss?
"You look terrible Jiraiya." Koharu said with no remorse. She had always been a straightforward woman who was quick to judge and had very little patience. Jiraiya was not too fond of her. He much preferred Homura, but he too had his flaws. He was the lesser of two evils though.
"Nice to see you too Lady Koharu." Jiraiya said sarcastically while rolling his obsidian eyes at the old lady's rudeness.
"Can we come in?" Homura asked, "We have something urgent to speak to you about. However, it is confidential and must be spoken about in private."
Jiraiya shook his head, "I'm not really in a talkative mood, so can this be put off for another time?"
"I'm afraid not Jiraiya." Koharu said and shoved her way into Jiraiya's home uninvited with Homura following behind.
Jiraiya reluctantly closed his door and followed the pair into his living room. Under any other circumstances he would have offered his guests a drink, but this visit was unexpected and unwanted and Jiraiya had no desire to prolong whatever it was they were there for.
"What is this all about?" He asked, trying hard to suppress the anger he felt.
"As you know the Third Hokage is dead." Homura said, stating the obvious and seated himself on Jiraiya's couch with Koharu.
How could Jiraiya possibly forget that his sensei had died? It was all he could think about, "Of course I know that."
"Due to Orochimaru's dreadful attack, the village is left in shambles and is in desperate need of a new leader, a strong leader, who can pick up the pieces and restore stability to the village." Koharu explained.
Jiraiya was painfully aware of the fact that the village was in ruins because of what his former friend did. He knew how vulnerable the village was and how they could not wait a long time for a new Hokage, especially with the Akatsuki posing as a major threat to them. He was aware of everything the elders were telling him, but he couldn't help but wonder what any of it had to do with him, "Why are you telling me this?"
Homura and Koharu looked at each other for a brief moment before continuing with their unscheduled meeting, "The village council has decided to name you the Fifth Hokage." Homura stated dryly as if Jiraiya had no choice in the matter.
Jiraiya was at a loss for words. He definitely was not expecting them to tell him that he was chosen as the new leader of the village. Surely they must have been joking, for Jiraiya was positive that he would not make for a good Hokage. He was barely hanging on by a thread so how could they expect him to be a figure of authority for anyone? He was unable to save Orochimaru from going to the darkness and failed to save his student and his mentor, so he deemed himself unsuitable to fit the Hokage role.
"You have the wrong guy." Jiraiya said, "Pick someone else."
"I'm afraid that's also impossible Jiraiya." Koharu said, "The instability of the village is a serious situation that will lead to catastrophe. We need a leader who won't make drastic changes, but who will pick up where Sarutobi left off and bring the village back to the status quo." She explained.
"You're one of the Sannin." Homuara said.
"Yes I know that. What does that have to do with anything?" Jiraiya asked, growing tired of the conversation.
"That means you were taught by the Third himself." Homura continued, "You're exactly who we need. Someone with the same ideals as the late Hokage, someone who will respect his legacy and build on it. You know you can't refuse this position. It is your duty to your mentor and to the village to take on this role."
Jiraiya finally understood why they came to a slacker like him to make him the Hokage. They were desperate due to the difficult position the village was in. They had little to no time to elect a new Hokage, and needed someone who would fall into the position with ease and work relentlessly to bring the village back to stability. It all made sense for them to want a Sannin to take on the job. They thought that Jiraiya was the only one suited for the position, but they seemed to be forgetting that someone else could work.
"Stop." Jiraiya said, "You want a Sannin, but you're forgetting that there is another."
"Have you gone insane boy?" Koharu asked in a raised voice, "How could you suggest that Orochimaru become the Hokage?!"
Jiraiya shook his head, "No, I'm talking about Tsunade."
It didn't come as a surprise that they didn't even consider the only female member of the Sannin. She left the village years ago under terrible circumstances. She was out of sight and out of mind for so long that the council barely uttered a word about her. It was almost as if she didn't exist, for nobody, not even Jiraiya knew her whereabouts.
"There's little doubt that she won't do a good job, but nobody knows where she is." Homura said, "You can't talk your way out of this Jiraiya and volunteer someone else for the job."
"Tsunade is much more suited for the job. She's smart, responsible, and the title of Hokage basically runs in her veins. You know she was meant to take on the position, not a free spirit like me." Jiraiya explained, "Besides, if anyone can find her, it's me."
Jiraiya watched as the two elders thought about his proposition. He tried to be as persuasive as possible, but he had no idea what they were thinking. There was a strong chance that they would find it to be ridiculous and therefore force him into the position, but there was also the likelihood of them agreeing to it. In the event that they said yes, how exactly would he find her? Furthermore, how would he feel upon seeing her once again? On the other hand, if they said no, how would he cope with being the new Hokage? It had always been a role he respected, but one he never wanted. To him it was too much pressure and responsibility. He liked to be free and unfettered and being the Hokage would surely rob him of the lifestyle he grew accustomed to.
Homura looked at Koharu after a few moments of thinking and she looked back at him. They nodded their heads and turned to Jiraiya, "Very well." Koharu said, "Your mission is to locate Princess Tsunade and bring her back to the village to take her rightful position as Hokage."
"But, two members of the ANBU Black Ops will accompany you on your travels." Homura added.
"There's no need for that. I'm not going to make a run for it." Jiraiya said, "However, I will like to take along Naruto Uzumaki."
"The Uzumaki boy?" Koharu repeated, "Whatever for?"
"I'll use it as an opportunity to train him." Jiraiya said, "He is my apprentice after all."
"Take whoever you want but don't let it distract you. Your task is to bring Tsunade back in a timely manner. We have no time to waste here."
"Don't worry, I'll find Tsunade and she will be your Hokage." Jiraiya said. He just hoped that he could keep his promise. If not, he would more than likely become the Fifth Hokage. He was an excellent tracker however, and knew that one way or another he would find Tsunade. He found her once so he was certain he could do it again.
The village advisors left Jiraiya so he could prepare himself for yet another journey. He gathered the items that he would need on his travels faster than he normally did, for this time around he had a sense of purpose. He was tasked with finding not only the woman who would become the next Hokage, but also the woman he longed to see. He was excited to encounter her again, but also apprehensive. He had no contact with her for the years that they have been apart and therefore had no idea what kind of life she was leading. He just hoped that somehow whenever they saw each other again, that she would be happy to see him too.
After packing his travel bag, he headed over to Naruto's apartment to invite him to accompany him on his mission. At first, the young ninja had no desire to go for he thought that it would be yet another one of Jiraiya's meaningless excursions. However, when Jiraiya mentioned that he would teach him a new jutsu along the way, he quickly packed his bags and met Jiraiya at the front gate of the village within a matter of minutes. Jiraiya was shocked that the boy got ready so quickly, but then again it didn't come as much of a surprise since he would do just about anything to learn a new technique.
The two started their journey. Jiraiya decided to travel through towns that are well known for the gambling halls they possess. He figured that even if he doesn't find her in one town, the probability of him getting a lead on her location would be high. Tsunade was known far and wide as a die hard gambling addict, so when he thought about it perhaps she wouldn't be that hard to find. The fact that he also knew Tsunade like the back of his hand would help the situation as well.
"So where are you traveling to this time Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked when curiosity got the better of him. Jiraiya never really told him any details of why he was on a journey, so the young ninja had many questions about it.
"I'm trying to find a woman." Jiraiya simply said.
Naruto stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Jiraiya's response. Surely the sage was not going through the trouble of traveling from town to town just to find a woman, "Are you kidding me?!" He shouted in disbelief, "You're dragging me around just so you can find some lady?!"
Jiraiya laughed at the blonde boy's words, "She's a quite remarkable woman Naruto. You'll see for yourself once you meet her."
"What's so remarkable about her anyway?" He asked, "All the women you seem to be attracted to are anything but remarkable."
"You give me no credit at all." Jiraiya shook his head, "The woman we're looking for is named Tsunade and she is one of the Sannin like me." He explained and the two started walking again, "She's a great healer so we need to find her and bring her back to the village to heal your friends."
Just as Naruto and Jiraiya set out on their journey, Kakashi and Sasuke were attacked by Sasuke's older brother Itachi. They were both injured and needed medical attention. After hearing about Tsunade's medical skills, Naruto was eager to locate her so she could help his friends.
"We need to hurry up and find this Tsunade lady then." Naruto said with a newfound determination, "You have any idea where she could be?"
"In the last town we passed through I got some information that indicates that she could possibly be in a place called Tanzuku Town." Jiraiya explained, "Once we get there I'll ask around and hopefully find her. We need to move fast though. She tends to not stay in one place for too long."
"Are you forgetting that you also promised to teach me a new jutsu?" Naruto asked. He was determined to find Tsunade, but he didn't forget that he was supposed to be learning a new technique as well. He had no intentions on letting Jiraiya get away with not holding up his end of the bargain.
"I almost forgot about that." Jiraiya laughed. He then walked over to a stand situated in the town they were passing through and purchased all the water balloons, and rubber balls the owner had up for sale.
"Why'd you buy all those balloons?" Naruto asked, feeling very confused.
"Come on, follow me." Jiraiya instructed. He led Naruto over to the outskirts of town where a river ran throughout the field. He walked over to the river and filled one of the balloons with water. He then held the water balloon in his palm.
Naruto watched as the water balloon started to move in Jiraiya's hand until it burst, "How did that happen?" He asked, amazed at what he just witnessed.
"The new jutsu I'll be teaching you has three steps." Jiraiya said, "You just witnessed the first step which is rotation. I managed to spin the water within the balloon in multiple directions using my chakra until the balloon popped." He then filled another balloon with water and handed it to Naruto, "This step requires concentration. Go ahead and try it."
Naruto tried to use his chakra to rotate the water in the balloon, but failed at his attempt. Jiraiya made it look so easy, but Naruto quickly realized it wasn't as simple as it seemed, especially taking into consideration the fact that he did not excel in chakra control.
"I'll leave you to practice while I try to get a more solid lead on Tsunade. I want to make sure that she is actually in Tanzuku Town." Jiraiya said before placing the water balloons by Naruto and left him to work on the first step of the jutsu.
After about a day of gathering more information on Tsunade's whereabouts, Jiraiya was confident that she was in Tanzuku Town. They started their journey to their desired destination with Naruto still working on popping the water balloons with his chakra. It took him a while to master the first step, but after relentless practicing he finally managed to rotate the water with his chakra until the balloon burst.
Jiraiya then demonstrated the second step to the rather complicated jutsu. He retrieved a rubber ball from his backpack and held it within his palm. Naruto watched closely until he saw the ball pop in Jiraiya's hand much like the water balloon. The young ninja was certain that the second step would be just like the first, but when he gave it a try he realized it was much harder. The rubber ball was much thicker than the water balloon, therefore it would take denser chakra in order to break it. Naruto somehow had to intensify his chakra if he wanted to master the second step. The first step taught him rotation, and now he had to learn about power. He knew it was not going to be easy.
Naruto was left to his own devises again. He was having a difficult time with his task at hand and just wanted Jiraiya to stick around for moral support. He knew that finding Tsunade was Jiraiya'a top priority, but he thought it would help if he were to watch him train for a little. Instead of expressing his desires to his master, he decided to toughen up and work on the jutsu on his own. However, later that day Jiraiya returned to the spot he left Naruto at with a double popsicle in hand. He broke it in two and gave a half to Naruto. The two sat and ate the frozen treat, and Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. Jiraiya also felt their bond grow stronger. After they enjoyed the popsicle, and relaxed a little, Jiraiya asked Naruto to show him the second step. With a newfound jolt of energy, Naruto gave it a go and to his surprise, the ball popped. He mastered the second step.
Naruto couldn't wait to see what the third and final step of the jutsu was. Jiraiya blew air into yet another balloon and held it in his palm as he did with the water ballon at the first step, and the rubber ball during the second phase. Naruto watched closely, expecting something amazing to happen, but nothing did. He thought Jiraiya was playing games with him until Jiraiya explained that the third step was to combine the first two steps which were rotation and power, but maintain it in a neat sphere shape without destroying the balloon. Naruto attempted to do as Jiraiya was doing, but kept bursting the balloon. He quickly realized that the final step was the hardest of them all.
The duo continued to travel until they arrived at the outskirts of Tanzuku Town. It took a while, but they were relieved they were finally there.
"Come on Naruto, lets go into town." Jiraiya said, walking towards the small village.
"You go on ahead." Naruto said, pulling out another balloon from his bag, "I'll catch up to you later. I want to work on the jutsu for a little."
"Don't overdo it Naruto." Jiraiya said, "If you don't rest you will be running the risk of exhausting your chakra."
"I'm not going to practice for too long." Naruto assured him, feeling touched that the older man cared about his wellbeing.
"Okay, but if you don't meet up with me in two hours I'm going to come back and get you." Jiraiya said, "Good luck."
Naruto waited for Jiraiya to be out of sight until he started to train once again. He would be lying if he said that the constant exertion of his chakra wasn't taking a toll on his body. The truth was that he was exhausted, but he refused to take it easy until he managed to master the last step. He attempted to maintain the rotation and the intensity of the sphere of chakra but destroyed the balloon again and ended up thrown onto the dusty floor due to the power of the jutsu. He was so frustrated, but when he rose from the ground, he saw that he was not alone. Standing there was a young girl around his age, with shoulder length blonde hair, and big obsidian eyes. Besides Sakura, she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.
"Who are you?" Naruto asked, wondering who exactly the girl was and where she came from.
"My name is Mito." She smiled, "Sorry, I'm not allowed to tell you my last name. What's your name?"
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves." He said proudly.
"I know you're a ninja." She said, "I could tell by your headband that you're from the Leaf Village. I heard a lot about that village and it seems like a nice place. What are you doing anyway?"
Naruto could tell that the girl was rather inquisitive, "I'm working on a new jutsu so I can become stronger and become Hokage one day."
"Do you mind showing me?" Mito asked.
"Sure." Naruto blew air into another balloon and held it within his palm. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on his chakra control, but ultimately ended up bursting the balloon. He cried out in pain when the intensity of his chakra burned his hand.
Mito walked over to Naruto and held his damaged hand in hers. Suddenly her hands started to glow green and soon, Naruto's palm was healed without a trace that there was ever a wound.
"How did you do that?" Naruto asked while looking at his hand, amazed that he was no longer feeling any kind of pain and discomfort.
"I'll help you work on your new jutsu Naruto." She volunteered, "I can tell that it requires a significant amount of chakra control and that so happens to be my specialty."
